“Take up your cross, and follow Jesus” the powerful words of the hymn resound in the magnificent walls of a well re-known church in Nairobi's city center. Many of the faithful brethren eagerly bellow the words from the pits of their stomachs. However, how many of these have actually taken up their crosses and and followed Christ? Many believe that going to church every Sunday is enough. No one actually puts in time to read the Bible or pray for themselves. Yet for a relationship with God to grow, one has to put in effort. A case study could be the Daystar community. I was appalled when I went for one of the worship experiences and I found less than thirty students that had sacrificed and had gone before God in prayer. At a totally different …show more content…
According to MacArthur, spiritual growth is matching my position with my practice. He further explains that our actions should be a reflection of our relationship with God. The church is supposed to guide its members into a deeper realization of Christ in all his fullness. Church growth is not measured by the number of people that attend every service, or the number of branches that a given church has it is the content that matter after all, all things work together for the good of those that love the Lord. Sadly, the church in Kenya is yet to realize this as almost everyday an almost ordinary person receives the call to start a church. According to Ndegwa, a columnist with The Standard, Mr Amos Wako the Kenyan attorney general as of 2007 there were at least 60 applications for church registration every month not forgetting the 8,520 churches that are already registered and the 6,740 applications that are still pending. With such high numbers in 2007 alone, one wonders the numbers in existence today. …show more content…
A lot of lies have been spread with every Christian guilty of adding a lie or two; all in the name of trying to spice up the conversation. What is said to someone in confidence will soon turn into the topic of discussion over a cup of tea; and its not that these holier-than-thou Christians will offer any solutions. Other people's struggles are seen as a form of entertainment and in most cases, the rumors are far from the truth. The Bible warns us about gossip and how we should use our words in Ephesians 4:29 'let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers'. The fact that todays church has something negative to say about a situation a church member is going through and their words are never the kind to give counsel. This not only makes people disinterested in the things of God but also there are a lot of things that are hindering Gods word to bear fruit. This makes going to church every Sunday a fruitless venture for the pastor because he is like the sower that planted his seeds in infertile ground. It is a no wonder that the Church is not being looked at as a place to get
I agree with Kitchens, Mead, and Roxburgh who all basically say in their own way that one change in ministry that we need to focus on more is the congregational life of the church. However, I think Mead explains it best when he says that the future church must be more intentional in the spiritual formation of its laity (Mead, location 919). According to Mead, the church is moving towards becoming a more missional institution that cares for the needs of the community. Therefore, oftentimes laity will be the ones on the front lines and will need the capacity to minister to people on their own without the help of clergy. In order to do this they will need more directed and intensive training to deal with...
In my paper I will talk about my visit to The Community Church at Murphy's Landing (CCML). I have chosen this particular Church because it is a family church type and my neighbor goes there and she encouraged me to go with her. I went there with my neighbor on April 6, 2014.This church is an appropriate for this assignment because the people there are welcoming me with an open heart and they are willing to help and provide me with information. When I visit the Church’s site I read these words “We know visiting a new church can be intimidating. But, we want to help you to be as comfortable as possible when and if you join us”. The people gather in the church weekly to glorify God in joyful worship. The expressions of worship on CCML take many forms a prayer, a hymn of reverent awe, a guitar ringing with a chorus of praise, or a warm handshake and a welcoming smile. Their weekly services begin at 9:30 each Sunday at church. Also, they have weekly podcast if anyone wants to listen online. They have many types of services for parents, kids and students. People at CCML were so friendly; they gather around me and start welcoming me, one by one. People there introducing themselves to me, one after another and provide me with their contact information and help. Then we start talking about the church services and Christianity in particular. The mission of CCML was knowing, growing and loving. They seek to live out our mission by worshipping together as a local community of believers, growing in spiritual maturity through discipleship, education, and small groups, caring for one another within the context of the larger church body and small groups, and Communicating the love of Christ to our world, both through local outreach and global mis...
Welcome to Gospel Spreading Church. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2011, from Gospel Spreading Church: www.http://gospelspreadingchurch.com/
Many people believe that today’s Christians are too sheltered and oblivious to the real world around them. When asked, many outsiders compared today’s Christians to “The Titanic - a ship about to sink, but unaware of its fate” or “a hobby that diverts people’s attention” (Kinnaman 120). It is important Christians to not just stay secluded in one group (church group), but to be talking to others (outsiders) so we are aware of the problems and thing that are going on in the world around us. As Christians we are called to be disciples of Jesus by reaching out to those in need, praying for those around us, and calling people to become the church. In “Unchristian” David Kinnaman outlines three main things we as Christians should include in our lives: accepting responsibility, not being fearful, helping the desperate, being prepared, and keeping a balance.
The Gospel itself was most likely written to a mostly Gentile, urban audience and consistently shows a preferential option for the poor. Readers see numerous instances where the author depicts Jesus as claiming the poor as those who will receive the blessings of Heaven and instructing his followers about the dangers of possessions and wealth. It is obvious that the evangelist was concerned with how his or her local community was responding to the poor and how they were gaining and using their wealth.
Secondly, the Church can insist on its identity as an inter-generational community. It can do this structurally, by refusing to segment congregations by age, and temperamentally, by recovering a biblical respect for maturity and rejecting popular culture’s infantilism, thereby offering to children a goal of growing up. Popular culture exalts perpetual adolescence.
Christianity has its challenges. It places demands on us that set us apart from the rest of our world. The bible calls us a peculiar people, who navigate the challenge of living IN the world, without being OF the world. When we say ‘no’ to temptations that are enjoyed by the masses, we are labeled as self-righteous snobs, religious weirdoes, or worse. But we persevere, and we press toward that invisible line the Apostle Paul drew in the sands of time…for the high calling in Christ Jesus.
In an age when culture continues to lower standards of intellect, Marva Dawn makes compelling observations and suggestions for the Church to rethink its’ strategy on impacting society. How do we evangelize without weakening the message of what we are communicating? The majority of her text focuses on the worship environment generally, but later she focuses on music, preaching, and liturgy specifically. According to Dawn, a gathering of believers should emphasize God as the subject and object of worship, challenge each individual to grow in godly character, and accentuate the community of believers (not only in the room, but throughout history as well). Through this grid, she encourages leaders and participants to evaluate each worship element. If these primary goals are accomplished, then worship will not be empty and simpleminded. Instead the worship atmosphere would be held to a higher standard and, she believes, both pleasing to God and attractive to those who do not know God.
The religious fanfare in America is overwhelmingly Christian. There appears to be a major increase of interest in spirituality. However, there is a vast difference in the devoutness of churchgoers in frequency of church attendance. The manner in which these individuals attend church is influenced by their ages and also whether or not they have endured difficult life situations. After attending a few church services, one becomes very aware of the various types of attendees. There are three types of churchgoer categories: the Never- Miss-a-Service Churchgoers, the Show-Up for Sunday Morning Service Churchgoers, and lastly, but certainly not the least, Holiday Churchgoers.
I’ve met many people who say they’re Christians but don’t really exhibit the Christian attitude. They don’t try to have a loving or patient attitude or try to spread God’s word to others. There are some who also don’t go to church. Personally, I think some of these trends have reasons. Some of the “non-dedicated” Christians may still be learning how to properly communicate God’s word. Also, attending church is not required. Faith in God is what truly makes one a Christian. There may be some people who don’t have true faith in God, but, as I said before, we should force feed God onto them. If they truly desire God, then God will go to them.
Is Christianity losing its meaning? This is the question that many ask as many people today are becoming Christians just by name, but not actions. Despite people describing themselves as Christians, very small proportion of them really know what Christianity ought to be and as they do not attend Christian gatherings or practice the teachings. Christ exemplified the core Christian virtues of love and hope through his teachings and actions, which they should be practiced by every believing Christian. In this article, I will demonstrate that Christianity represents love and hope.
With this in mind, the following will focus on the spiritual formation process within the Christian community. The concept of Christian community stems from the Bible with the perspective of the body of Christ. The body of Christ is compared to the humane body, a whole comprised of numerous parts; each individual part is required and created by God to form a cohesive whole, no matter believer or non-believer or social status (1 Corinthians 12). Similarly, the spiritual community is also comprised of bountiful parts and can be customized to the individual as the formation. Ashbrook appraises the significance of individuals and community, “Our spiritual formation is designed by God to happen in the context of Christian community, the chu...
Yes Sam, you just spoke my mind. Did I? I don’t think so. I wonder why people, especially Nigerians, expect preachers to be paupers and beggars on the street. Is poverty a true reflection of Christianity? If your answer is yes, why then did Jesus Christ, our perfect example, employ Judas as his personal accountant to manage and keep his money? Don’t get me wrong, I am a strong advocate for accountability and proper financial management among pastors but I don’t belong to the school of thought that support poverty as a true reflection of Christianity. Is the church a religious gathering with little or no influence on human life’s and the nation? Permit me to take you on a short trip into the pages of history as we briefly explore the influence of the church in the early days.
First and foremost, preachers should preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Both individuals and the body of the church as a whole experience Jesus Christ through the gospel and sacraments, in other words, persons are fed spiritually by the gospel, so the Good News of Jesus Christ should be evident in preaching. According to the Lutheran confessional text, The Augsburg Confession, in the Lutheran tradition, preaching is acknowledged as given by God as follows:
Why anybody would want to go through life without knowing and understanding their purpose is beyond me, as is the case for hundreds of millions of people around the world. How is it that Christianity has become the largest religion in the world? It didn't draw upon the souls of millions because of its grandeur, but because of it appealed to something that billions around the wold struggle with. It proposed an answer to many of our lives problems. The church is open to any and all who are willing, and offer a place to discover the purpose in life, and develop a sense of self-worth and appreciation, which will then teach you how to live a fulfilling life.